The invention is generally related to devices for immobilizing an individual's thumb, hand and wrist and specifically, to those devices which can be easily slipped on and off the individual.
Plaster casts and various types of braces and splints are well known for immobilizing an individual's thumb, wrist and hand that has suffered a fracture, sprain or the like. Devices such as the plaster cast are difficult to remove and once removed cannot be reused.
Other devices such as wooden splints are not intended to be removed during use. Braces, such as those made of elastomeric fabric, while readily removable, do not provide optimum immobilization.
Recently, efforts have been made to produce a device which can be easily slipped on and off the individual and yet provides proper immobilization. One such device consists of a polyethylene body laminated to an inner foam liner. The upper side of the device is bifurcated by a longitudinal opening. The device is easily slipped on and off because the polyethylene allows the opening to expand when required. The device is secured to the patient's arm by buckling laterally spaced straps.
While this device solves some of the problems of past devices, it has several disadvantages. Some of these disadvantages are that the portion of the device which holds the thumb cannot be adjusted in size, the device does not adequately prevent rotation of an individual's forearm therein and the device does not provide for an individual's distal ulnar prominence, i.e., the natural protrusion of an individual's ulnar bone proximal the wrist on the upper side of the forearm opposite the thumb. Moreover, the padding of the device prevents it from securely immobilizing the individual's thumb, wrist and hand from being easily custom fit.